Read & explore together
Roles in Worship
Paul teaches the Corinthians about imitation, traditions and visible practices when praying or prophesying. This passage links worship behaviour with honour, relationships and God, while also reminding readers that men and women depend on each other in the Lord.
Understanding the passage
The setting of these words
In this part of 1 Corinthians, Paul first commends the believers for holding to traditions he delivered, then explains a teaching about headship and conduct in prayer and prophecy. He gives several reasons, asks the readers to judge the matter, and ends by rejecting quarrelsome contention over the practice.
1 Corinthians 11:1–16Main takeaway
This passage teaches that worship practices should show honour and order before God, while remembering that men and women are not independent of each other in the Lord.
Follow the letter’s teaching
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Imitating Christ and holding to teachingPaul begins with a call to imitation: the Corinthians are to imitate him as he imitates Christ.
Explanation
Paul begins with a call to imitation: the Corinthians are to imitate him as he imitates Christ. He also praises them for remembering him and holding firmly to the traditions he delivered. That opening matters because the instructions that follow are presented as teaching to be kept, not as a casual opinion.
02Headship and honour in prayer and prophecyPaul says, "the head of every man is Christ", "the head of the woman is man", and "the head of Christ is God".
Explanation
Paul says, "the head of every man is Christ", "the head of the woman is man", and "the head of Christ is God". He then applies this to prayer and prophecy: a covered man and an uncovered woman are both said to dishonour their head. The passage connects visible worship practice with honour.
03Reasons given, and mutual dependence in the LordPaul gives reasons for his instruction, speaking about glory, origin and creation. He also says a woman ought to have authority over her own head, "because of the angels".
Explanation
Paul gives reasons for his instruction, speaking about glory, origin and creation. He also says a woman ought to have authority over her own head, "because of the angels". Then he adds an important balance: in the Lord, woman and man are not independent of each other, and all things are from God.
04Judge the matter and avoid contentionPaul asks the readers to judge for themselves whether it is appropriate for a woman to pray unveiled.
Explanation
Paul asks the readers to judge for themselves whether it is appropriate for a woman to pray unveiled. He points to what "nature itself" teaches about hair, saying long hair is a dishonour for a man and a glory for a woman, with hair given as a covering. He closes by refusing contention and appealing to the assemblies’ practice.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What does Paul place before the Corinthians before giving instructions about worship practice?
Notice that he begins with imitation of Christ and with holding firmly to the traditions he delivered, which frames the whole passage.
02How does Paul connect prayer and prophecy with honour or dishonour?
Look closely at who is described as dishonouring their head and what visible practice is named in each case.
03What balancing truth does Paul add after speaking about origin and glory?
Read the "Nevertheless" section carefully and note both mutual dependence and the statement that all things are from God.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
1 Corinthians 11:1–16
1Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.
3But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.
5But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.
6For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered.
7For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
8For man is not from woman, but woman from man;
9for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man.
10For this cause the woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.
11Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord.
12For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God.
13Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled?
14Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
15But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.
16But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies.